• Austin Woman May 2015
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• Food & Drink

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Celebrate with recipes from Mexico: The Cookbook.

Author Margarita Carrillo Arronte spent 30 years researching, teaching and cooking Mexican food, and the impressive and truly beautiful result is the most comprehensive collection of Mexican home cooking ever assembled in one book. The 700 recipes are representative of all areas of Mexico and showcase the rich diversity of the cuisine. Austin’s own Miguel Ravago of Fonda San Miguel is featured in the Guest Chef section of the book, and we are pleased to bring you his recipes for ceviche Vera Cruz style and chiles rellenos de pollo in a web exclusive at austinwomanmagazine.com.

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo and your family gatherings for Mother’s Day and graduation, Austin Woman has chosen a wonderful menu that’s guaranteed to please everyone. All recipes are adapted from Mexico: The Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte (Phaidon, $49.95, October 2014).

On the Menu

Mexican Guacamole, chips and salsa, drunken chicken, Three Milk cake.

The Recipes

Mexican Guacamole

Region: all regions

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: Four

Ingredients:

1 tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 serrano chili, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 avocado, diced

Sea salt

Directions: Add to a bowl the tomato (if using), onion, chili, lime juice and cilantro. Stir well to mix and season with salt. Gently fold in the avocado, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the olive oil and mix. Serve with tortilla chips.

Note: It is best to prepare guacamole minutes before serving to avoid discoloration. Instead of incorporating the chopped tomato, you can use it as a garnish, arranging it around the edge of the serving bowl.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Region: all regions

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2 cups

Ingredients:

6 tomatoes

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

3 green serrano chilies, seeded and chopped

5 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Sea salt

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the tomatoes, onion and chilies into a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Put the vegetables into a food processor or blender and process until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and serve sprinkled with cilantro. Serve this salsa with meat, fish, poultry or tacos. Transfer to a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and sprinkle with cilantro before serving. Serve with meat, fish, poultry or tacos.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Region: all regions

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves: Four

Ingredients:

18 tomatillos

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

4 serrano chilies, seeded

Pinch of sugar (optional)

6 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Sea salt

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the tomatillos, onion, garlic and chilies into a roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Put the vegetables and sugar into a food processor or blender and process until thoroughly combined. Transfer to a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and sprinkle with cilantro before serving. Serve with meat, fish, poultry or tacos.

Drunken Chicken

Region: Coahuila

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves: eight

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4 tablespoons corn oil

2 (3- to 4-pound) chickens

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 sprigs parsley, chopped

1 pound chorizo, sliced

3 cups ham, chopped

4 cups dry sherry or dry white wine

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch ground cloves

Pinch ground cinnamon

Pinch black pepper

Pinch ground nutmeg

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup almonds

Sea salt

Directions: Put the tomatoes into a food processor or blender and process to a puree. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Quarter the chickens and add the pieces, pureed tomatoes, garlic and parsley, and cook over medium heat, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chorizo and ham, and cook for an additional five minutes, then pour in the sherry and cook for a few minutes until the sherry has mostly evaporated. Add the sugar, cloves, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, raisins and almonds, and season. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the cooking liquid has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat. Put a piece of chicken on each plate, spoon over the sauce and serve with rice or salad.

Three Milk Cake

Region: all regions

Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours

Cooking time: 50 minutes

Serves: eight

Ingredients:

Butter for greasing

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tablespoon baking powder

8 extra large eggs, separated

2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

4 tablespoons milk

For the cream:

1 can condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 cup cream

3 egg yolks

1 to 2 tablespoons brandy

For the topping:

3 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons golden corn syrup

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line an 11-inch round cake pan. Sift together the flour and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla until the beaters leave a ribbon trail. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder mixture, alternating with the milk. Whisk the egg whites in a grease-free bowl until stiff form, then fold into the mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a tooth- pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the cream. Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until combined. Remove from the oven, let stand in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn it out onto a plate, break it up with a fork and pour the cream over it while it is still warm. To make the topping, put the egg whites, sugar, lemon juice and syrup in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the surface of the water. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is fluffy, then remove the bowl from the pan, and continue whisking until a meringue forms. Cover the cake with the meringue using a spatula, and brown the tips of the meringue with a culinary blowtorch.

For our exclusive web extra and more recipes from Chef Miguel Ravago of Fonda San Miguel, visit austinwomanmagazine.com.

All photos and recipes courtesy of Mexico: The Cookbook, Margarita Carrillo Arronte, $49.95, Phaidon 2014.

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